When in Rome...

[chipsandmushypeas]

I've been dying to go to Italy for years now and have decided to start with Rome. It would be a couples break.

Not sure what hotel to book as I've heard certain areas are noisy at night. Has anyone been? Any advice of what to do, what not to miss, hotels, flights?

Thanks

Get a guide book and have a look at the places you definitely do want to see and those that are a 'maybe'. How long are you going for? If it's only for a long weekend then I think that the Colloseum and Forum should be near the top of the list. The Vatican and accompanying museum is also a 'must see' for many people. There are also many, many amazing fountains - you could spend a day wandering around the area between the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.

Top tips:

Wear a cross-body bag and keep one hand on it in crowds.
Eat ice-cream.
Wear comfortable but stylish shoes.
Eat ice-cream.
Perfect your steely "how very dare you" glare for anyone who approaches you with a rose, bracelet or other touristy-gift.
Eat ice-cream.
Take a siesta and take an early-evening stroll.
Eat ice-cream.
Rome is very small so taxis shouldn't be expensive (but do beware of being ripped off - it's never happened to me but I have heard of it happening to others)
Eat ice-cream.

Did I mention the ice-cream??

Will definitely be eating lots of ice cream then!

Thanks for the tips world would you recommend any nice but cheap hotels? Is it best to book hotel and flight together?

Also if anyone has any restaurant recommendations as I've heard the touristy bits aren't very good quality

I'm going to Rome for Easter staying just off the Via Veneto in a sort of handy for a few things location - the nicest cheapest resturants used to be around the trastevere, I plan to be brave and use the bus more than cabs/underground. When are you going?

We stayed here.

I would recommend it - very close to Spanish Steps and walkable from train station.

Sorry, just saw 'cheap' bit, I don't think it was that bargainous.

that is near my hotel! [excited]

Around April 20th weekend mighty

That hotel looks amazing jasper probably a bit too nice for us, just need somewhere to crash but not too far away from sites

are you going to the luxinarcana exhibition (vatican secret archives) too? I hope it isn't shit

I am envious! We had the best weekend away ever in Rome.

Better than New York, Paris, Barcelona - it was just fabulous and we walked everywhere. It's so compact, you don't need cabs imo.

That hotel was nice because it had a spa so we could soothe our knackered legs of an evening. Plus it had the most wonderful rooftop terrace bar.

But yes, thinking about it, it was wedgy.

Sorry, I can't remember the names of the hotels we've stayed in. They were both very nice 2/3 places, one even had a lovely balcony and jacuzzi bath.

We didn't find any bad restaurants, the locals were always happy to recommend somewhere fantastic, I think they would be embarassed to recommend anywhere bad.

If we go again we will book an apartment through www.vrbo.com as this has become our preferred method when visiting cities. We love the area around the Spanish Steps.

I went to Rome in December, it was AMAZING and very worth going to! I booked two hotels, the first one was www.hotelgalatearoma.com/en/index.php much cheaper than my second choice! Was a nice, clean, quiet hotel in a quiet area. Personally I'd avoid staying around the main train station, Termini. Rome is actually MUCH smaller than you think it will be; however I walk and keep active a LOT. But if you get a RomaPass you get unlimited public travel, we only had to use this once, it also gives you entrance to different sights. My second hotel I stayed is opposite the Pantheon, was beautiful www.hotelabruzzi.it/ looked on Trivago for the best deals. I was able to walk to the Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Castel Sant'Angelo..... basically EVERYWHERE! In December we were eating gellato outside the Pantheon at midnight.

As I was only just into my second trimester we perfected the Roman way! Get up, have breakfast, go back to sleep for a nap (as in Rome things tend not to get started until 9/10ish), walk to wherever, lunch, do more stuff, go back to hotel, nap, dinner at 8/9.... as typically they eat later on.
Booked flights through Ryanair when they had an offer on, £35 return each (inc. taxes). We flew from Liverpool and got our Terravision tickets there; which are coach transfers from the airport to Termini, well worth getting and avoiding queuing at the other end to buy them!
We went for 5 days (4 nights), that was enough for me.

Just come back from Rome. My advice would be to stay near Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori, Parthenon just for the buzz along all the winding back streets. Saying that, Rome is very walkable/busable. We know it well and this time stayed in self catering on Via Nazionale. Right by a metro so could whizz about (although we always prefer the buses). I also quite like the area just north of the colosseum which is more Italian than touristy. Again easy to jump on a metro or bus.

We went to Rome last month, and I got a lot of wonderful advice from MNer Aitch who has lived there. If you PM her, I'm sure she'll be as lovely to you as she was to me (she seems nice like that ) and give you all her top tips.

For the record, we stayed in a hotel she recommended, 4 mins walk from the Colosseum. Lovely hotel, not v. expensive and no noise at night. We went as a family, though, so you might be looking for something a touch more romantic.

Have a wonderful trip!

Rome is my favorite city! We stay in a little place called River Palace on Via Flaminia just over the road from Piazza Del Popolo. It's not particularly swanky but nice, affordable and convenient.

You can get on the tram very close by, walk to lots of places and cafe canova on the Piazza does awesome icecream and coffee.

Have you worked out how you are getting from the airport into Rome? The taxis are extortionate- IME best to organise transport in advance through your hotel.

www.hotels.com/ho233316/grand-hotel-del-gianicolo-rome-italy/

We stayed here when we went to Rome, it's lovely and has a beautiful pool on it's roof, just what you need after a day of sight seeing.

I love Rome, wish I was going.........

A tip; all white taxis have a flat rate of 40Euro from the airport to central Rome. Just go straight out to the taxi rank, don't be waylaid by people inside the airport. And don't pay extra for baggage. Our first taxi driver tried this on when his boss (Mr Taxi Rank organiser) had passed us over to him but we speak Italian and he soon backed down.

Anyone know any tours of the Colluseum/Vatican etc that are geared up to children? Mine are aged 10 and 12.

Hotel is sorted as we are using hotel points so staying in a chain hotel on the outskirts that bus us in each day

We took our two DCs to Rome around Easter 2011 for 4 nights had an amazing time, we all loved it. We got a tour of the underground parts of the Coliseum, seeing where the gladiators hung out, the sewage system and the animal pens - brilliant. We booke fit via the ticketitaly website, and recommend it very highly.

Am going to Rome too soon so marking place here. Some good tips.

Recently went to Rome as a surprise from husband-to-be, we stayed at Hotel Villa San Pio, very romantic and about 15 minutes walk from main sites. Would recommend it! He proposed there so a special place in our hearts.